Every once in awhile I get an email from someone who is starting a new blog. This person is enthusiastic to get started and is hoping to become the next Darren Rowse or Steve Pavlina. In sending a few emails back and forth, however, I find that almost everyone underestimates how long it will take. […]
Use Projects to Educate Yourself for Free
Last week I wrote about how working on projects is a great way to keep yourself motivated. The idea is that if you focus on results, it’s easy to get frustrated when you hit a patch of bad luck. If your emphasis is on completing projects, any feedback you get will come directly from your […]
Can You Live With the Worst Case?
A great deal of self-improvement advice is based on one principle: if the cost of failure is low, taking action and making mistakes beats doing nothing. This isn’t motivational hype, it’s common sense. If the upside is great, and the downside is minimal, why not roll the dice? Unfortunately, few people actually ask themselves what […]
What’s Your Exit Strategy?
It’s nearing the end of the school year. And for many new graduates, the stress of trying to pass final exams will be replaced by an even bigger worry: figuring out what to do after getting their degree. I’m not graduating yet, but I think this post-grad crisis represents a more general problem all of […]
I'm a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, podcast host, computer programmer and an avid reader. Since 2006, I've published weekly essays on this website to help people like you learn and think better. My work has been featured in The New York Times, BBC, TEDx, Pocket, Business Insider and more. I don't promise I have all the answers, just a place to start.